Device for lubricating revolving blades of a shearing machine



Dec. 19, 1961 as. ROBINSON 3,013,324

DEVICE FOR LUBRICATING REVOLVING BLADES OF A SHEARING MACHINE Filed July 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. EDMUND S. ROBINSON Dec. 19, 1961 sis. ROBINSON 3,013,324

DEVICE FOR LUBRICATING REVOLVING BLADES OF A SHEARING MACHINE Filed July 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 78 5 78 7O I 0 I o q r I u E I 28 '5 0' 1. I I) I i |6 |2 FIG. 2

IN V EN TOR. EDMUND S. ROBINSON At'bornmj all,

United rates The present invention relates to a lubricator, and more particularly to a device for lubricating the revolving blades of a shearing machine.

In the manufacture of high pile synthetic fabrics, for example, one of the final operations is the shearing of the fabric pile. This is accomplished by a conventional shearing machine, which moves the fabric at the rate of from three to twenty yards per minute, for example, to feed the fabric pile between a stationary ledger blade and the helical blades attached to a rotating drum. This drum rotates at high speed, such as nine hundred to eleven hundred revolutions per minute, for example, with the helical blades exerting a slight pressure against the ledger blade. The revolving blades and the ledger blade are completely enclosed in a casing except for a small slot or opening through which the fabric travels. Air is evacuated from this casing at a high rate which serves not only to remove the shearings, but also to pull the fibers between the revolving blades and the ledger blade to obtain an even cut on the fabric. This casing is constructed so that it encloses the rotating blades with as little clearance as possible to obtain the maximum efficiency from the suction source. A hinged hood or cover is provided for opening this casing, which is necessary for starting a length of fabric into the machine and also to get at the drum for grinding or adjusting the blades.

Heretofore, the high speed of the revolving blades, the great turbulence of air inside the casing, and the small clearance space between the surface of the revolving blades and the casing, prohibited the proper lubrication of the edges of the revolving blades. Without this lubrication, heat was generated by the friction between the high speed revolving blades and the ledger blade. This heat buckled the ledger blade and scolfed the revolving blades full of ridges, thus leaving streaks in the fabric and causing uneven cutting of the fibers. This buckling and scofling required the frequent grinding, changing, and adjusting of the blades, which necessitated the frequent shutting down of the machine and shortened the life of the blades.

Moreover, the high speed of the blades created a fanning action in the small enclosure which prevented the fibers, that are to be cut, from being properly pulled by the vacuum into the blades, which interfered with the proper and even shearing of the fabric pile.

Although there are known devices which attempt to lubricate the edges of revolving blades, these devices have been deficient and impractical in that they either dripped excessive oil or in an attempt to overcome this dripping, were so constructed and arranged that the blades received an insufiicient amount of oil for proper lubrication. Moreover, these known devices were so constructed and attached to the machine that it was almost impossible to keep leather which supplied the oil to the blades, in the correct position relative to the revolving blades. Furthermore, these known devices are unsuitable for lubricating the revolving blades of a inachine of the type described herein.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a more efiicient lubricating device for spreading a thin film of oil on the edges of the high speed revolving blades of ashearing machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lubriatent eating device for a shearing machine of the character described which will spread a thin film of oil on the blades regardless of the turbulence of the air in the enclosed casing of, the machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lubrieating attachment which compactly fits inside the enclosed casing directly above the revolving blades.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lubricating attachment wherein the delivery rate of the oil is adjustable.

' Another object of this invention is to provide an improved lubricating device for the revolving blades of a shearing machine which is easily removed for changing or grinding the blades' A further object of this invention is to provide a lubricating device of the character described which may be easily adjusted in a vertical direction relative to the revolving blades exteriorly of the casing.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a lubricating device of the character described which is so constructed and positioned in the casing that it stops the fanning action of the revolving blades.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a lubricating device of the character described which is so constructed that it will not drip oil on the blades either when the machine is running or standing still.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a lubricating device of the character described which is small and compact, inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to install.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the specification, the drawings, and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a shearing machine showing a lubricating device constructed according to one embodiment of the invention attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of the shearing machine showing the cover or hood of the casing closed and with parts broken away showing the lubricating device attached within the casing;

FIG. '3 is a front elevation'of the lubricating device;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the lubricating device;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is an end elevation of the cover portion of the casing.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present embodiment of the invention is adapted to .be attached to a shearing machine of the type which is used for shearing the fibers of high pile synthetic fabrics. 'This shearing machine comprises a base 10 provided with journals 11 which rotatably support a cylindrical drum 12 having helical blades 1-4. A stationary or ledger blade 16 is attached to the base and is engaged by the revolving blades 14 during rotation of the drum 12. Fabric 18, is feed from left to right (as viewed in ,FIG. 1) into the machine over a roller 20, a surface 21, and over a roller 22 which is adjacent the blade 16. The sheared fabric then leaves the machine downwardly over a guide roller 23. A casing, generally referred to as 25 has a curved hood or cover 26,which ishingedly attached thereto at 27. A forward extension 28 of the hood 26 overlies the fabric 18 when the hood 26 is closed. The hood 26 has an interior curved wall portion 30 which overlies the fabric 18 close to the roller 22. The hood 26 has end walls 29 (FIG. 3) which are each provided with a slot 31, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter. When theh'ood 26 is closed, the drum 12, the revolving blades 14, the blade 16, and thatportion of the fabric 18 between the wall 30 and the blade 16 is completely enclosed in the casing 25. A suction duct 32 is attached to and communicates with the casing 25, and is connected to a source of vacuum to draw air from the interior 34 of the casing. This causes the air outside the casing 25 to enter the interior 34 through that portion of the fabric 18 which is adjacent the blade 16. Thus the fibers to be cut are pulled between the blades, and the shearings are carried out through the duct 32.

The lubricating device generally referred to as 40 extends for the full length of the blades 14. This lubricating device comprises an elongated strip of flexible leather 42 which is flanked on opposite sides by strips of a hard rigid leather 44 of lesser height. These three strips of leather 42 and 44 are interposed between a pair of elongated angle iron members having legs or sides 48 and 58, respectively. The leather strips 44 and 42 are adjustably clamped between the sides 48 of the angle irons by a plurality of machine screws 50. The strips of leather 42 and 44 are positioned so that their upper edges are in the same plane and are below the supper surfaces of the legs or sides 58 of the angle irons. Members 54 are attached by screws 56 at opposite ends of the sides 58. Thus a shallow oil reservoir 52 is formed by the angle irons and the leather strips, with the exposed portion of the opposed surfaces of the legs or sides 48 of the angle irons forming the sides of the reservoir, the members 54 forming the opposite ends of the reservoir, and the upper edges of the leather strips 42 and 44 forming the bottom of the reservoir.

The angle irons are fixedly attached together by arms 62 of the brackets 60 which are fastened to the portions 58 of the angle irons by screws 64. The brackets 60 have arms 66 which extend outwardly longitudinally from opposite ends of the angle irons.

It should be noted that both the members 54 and the brackets 60 are fastened to the portions 58 of the angle irons thus permitting adjustment of the portion 48 as will be described to control the supply of oil.

The outer ends of the portions 66 are provided with threaded studs 68 which extend perpendicular to the upper surfaces of the sides or legs 58. These studs are adapted to fit in an opening in bight portions of respective inverted U-shaped supporting members 70 which are attached to the base exteriorly of and at opposite ends of the casing 25. The lubricating device 40 is adjustably supported by these members 70 above the blades 14. The height of the lubricating device 40 is adjusted so that the revolving blades 14 wipe the thin film of oil from the tip 59 of the leather 42 by adjusting the nuts 74 and 78 on the studs 68, which also serve to rigidly secure the lubricating device in adjusted position to the supporting members 70. The portions 66 of the brackets 60 are adapted to enter the slots 31 of the end portions 29 of the cover 26 when the cover is closed.

The leather 42 is so constituted that it is capable of holding a certain quantity of oil without dripping, or in other words, it is capable of becoming saturated, but not over saturated. Because the reservoir 52 is shallow, and there is very little head pressure on the leather strip, the strip of leather 42 will not become over saturated and cause dripping of the oil from its tip 59. As the blades 14 rotate across the lower edge of the leather strip 42 they wipe off a thin film of oil from the tip 59 but this oil is immediately replenished by oil from the reservoir 52 causing the leather to again become saturated.

The screws 50 force the legs or sides 48 of the angle irons to squeeze the leathers 44 against the sides of the leather 42. These screws 50 may be tightened or loosened to decrease or increase the amount of oil that the leather 42 will hold, which also controls the rate at which the oil from the reservoir 52 replenishes that which is removed from the tip 59.

Besides providing a large clamping surface against the sides of the leather 42, the stiff leathers 44 also serve to provide rigidity or support to the leather 42, thus tending to prevent warping or curling of the leather 42.

The vertical position of the flexible leather 42 with the tip 59 being at the lowermost point also assists in keeping the leather 42 in a straight position so that the tip 59 will not curl or warp away from the edges of the blades 14. However, if after an extended period of operation the leather 42 should tend to warp slightly one way or the other because of the force of air against one side or the other of the leathers 42 and 44, the lubricating device 40 is merely detached at the supporting members 70 and reversed so that the force of air is against the other or opposite side of the leather 42 thus insuring that the tip 59 is always in proper lubricating position.

To mount the lubricating device in the machine, the studs 68 are inserted into the bight portion of the members 70 and the height of the lubricating device is determined by threading the nut 74 or 78 on its respective stud 68 so that the revolving blades 14 will just wipe the film from the surface 59 of the leather 42. The nuts 74 or 78, as the case may be, are then tightened down on the members 70.

In operation, the reservoir 52 is filled with a lubricant such as sperm oil. The fabric is threaded into the machine substantially as shown in FIG. 1 and the hood or cover 26 is swung downwardly to enclose the revolving blades and the oiling device in the interior 34 of the casing. The fabric 18 and the drum 12 are then put in motion. Since the lubricating device substantially blocks the small clearance space between the top portion of the hood 26 and the surface of the blades, the fanning action of the blades is stopped, which permits the suction which is created in the interior 34 of the casing to properly pull the fibers between the blades for an even cutting of the fibers. In actual practice, it has been found that the reservoir 52 must be filled after every four hours of operation of the machine.

In many instances, it is necessary to adjust the height of the lubricating device while the machine is in operation, which may be easily accomplished by adjusting the nuts 74 or 78 as the case may be exteriorly of the casing. Moreover, it is apparent that the lubricating device in no way interferes with the opening or closing of the hood and/ or the starting of the fabric into the machine.

Thus, it is apparent that I have provided an improved lubricating device for efliciently lubricating the revolving blades of a shearing machine which will effectively spread a thin film of oil on the tip of the blades in an enclosure which is under suction. Furthermore, I have provided a lubricating device which is simple to install, and adjust, which may be easily removed for grinding the blades, and which is adjustable to control the amount of oil which is spread on the blades during operation.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a pile fabric shearing machine, a stationary blade, a rotary cutter positioned to cooperate with said stationary blade and having a plurality of blades spaced around its periphery, means for driving said rotary cutter at high speed, an enclosure surrounding said cutter and fully enclosing the same, said enclosure having an elongate slot through which the fabric, which is to be sheared, can be fed into engagement with said cutter blades as the cutter rotates, said slot being bounded at one side by said stationary blade and at its other side by an edge of said enclosure, means for feeding fabric to said rotary cutter and across said slot including a roller mounted in said slot and over which the fabric travels, said slot being wider than said roller whereby air can be drawn through the fabric as the fabric travels across said slot, means connected to said enclosure at a point spaced from said slot for exhausting air from said enclosure to draw air at high velocity through said slot and the pile of the travelling fabric to thereby raise the pile into the path of said rotary cutter, means for lubricating the blades of said cutter during its high speed rotation, comprising an elongate reservoir mounted in said enclosure directly above said cutter and extending longitudinally thereof, and an elongate lubricant absorbing strip mounted in the bottom of said reservoir and extending vertically downwardly therefrom, the lower end of said strip being above but contiguous to said rotary cutter so that as said cutter rotates its blades wipe a thin film of lubricant from the lower end of said strip.

2. in a pile fabric shearing machine, a stationary blade, a rotary cutter positioned adjacent said stationary blade to cooperate therewith having a plurality of blades spaced around its periphery, means for driving said cutter at high speed, an enclosure surrounding said cutter in spaced relation thereto and fully enclosing the same, said enclosure having an elongate slot through which the fabric, which is to be sheared, can be fed into engagement with said blades when the cutter rotates, means connected to said enclosure at a point spaced from said slot for exhausting air from said enclosure to draw air at high velocity through said slot and the pileof said fabric as the fabric travels across said slot, said slot being bounded at one side by said stationary blade and at its other side by an edge of said enclosure, means for feeding fabric to said rotary cutter and across said slot including a roller mounted in said slot and over which the fabric travels, said slot being wider than said roller and said roller being positioned adjacent the leaving side of said slot whereby the pile of the fabric is raised before the fabric travels over the roller and before it is engaged by the cutter, means for lubricating the blades of said cutter during high speed rotation thereof, comprising a pair of upwardly extending supports rigidly mounted exteriorly of the enclosure at opposite ends thereof, an elongate reservoir in said enclosure directly above said cutter and extending longitudinally thereof, an elongate lubricant absorbing strip mounted in the bottom of said reservoir and extending vertically downwardly therefrom, said reservoir and strip cooperating to substantially block the space between said cutter and the inside top surface of said enclosure, said enclosure having a slot in opposite ends thereof, a pair of members rigidly attached adjacent opposite ends of the reservoir, said members extending longitudinally above said cutter and outwardly through the respective slots at opposite ends of the enclosure, adjusting means positioned exteriorly of said enclosure and connecting each of said members to one of said supports to adjustably position said reservoir vertically in said enclosure to position the lower end of the lubricant-absorbing strip directly above said rotary cutter so that as said cutter rotates its blades wipe a thin film of lubricant from the lower end of said strip.

3. In a pile fabric shearing machine, a stationary blade, a rotary cutter positioned to cooperate with said stationary blade and having a plurality of blades spaced around its periphery, means for driving said rotary cutter at high speed, an enclosure fully surrounding said cutter and fully enclosing the same, said enclosure having an elongate longitudinally extending s-lot through which the fabric, which is to be sheared, can be fed into engagement with said blades as the cutter rotates, said slot being bounded on one side by said stationary blade and on the other side by an edge of said enclosure, means for feeding fabric to said cutter and across said slot including a roller mounted 'in said slot and over which said fabric is adapted to pass, said slot being wider than said roller whereby air can be drawn through said fabric as it passes across said slot, means connected to said enclosure at a point spaced from said slot for exhausting air from said enclosure to draw air through said slot and the pile of said fabric as it passes across said slot to thereby raise said pile into the path of said rotary cutter blades, means for lubricating the blades of said cutter during high speed rotation, comprising a pair of elongate side members mounted in said enclosure and extending longitudinally thereof, said side members being positioned above said cutter and spaced substantially parallel to one another, an elongate lubricant-absorbing strip mounted between said side members, the upper edge of said strip being positioned below the upper edge of each side member and the lower edge of said strip extending vertically downwardly below the lower edge of each side member, a pair of end members positioned at opposite ends of said side members and engaging opposite ends of said strip, said end members extending above the upper edge of said strip, means fastening said end members to the ends of said side members above the upper edge of said strip to form an elongate shallow reservoir for holding a lubricant, means clamping said strip between said side members, said clamping means being adjustable to move at least one of said side members relative to the end members to adjustably exert pressure against opposite sides of said lubricant-absorbing strip for the full length thereof to adjust the rate of absorption of the lubricant from the reservoir downwardly through said strip, the lower edge of said strip being directly above said rotary cutter so that as said cutter rotates its blades wipe a thin film of lubricant from the lower edge of said strip.

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